


From the Wings

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: Daughter of Gotham [6]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-04
Updated: 2014-05-04
Packaged: 2018-01-21 22:49:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1566878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harvey's got a big thing coming, and Ashlea meets a new reporter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From the Wings

Despite the doctors, despite Gordon's urging, Harvey had pushed himself hard to return to business within weeks of his beating.

Ashlea didn't know if she applauded him or worried more for that dedication, but her friend seemed to have it all well in hand. The Batman had concentrated on putting fear into the mafia, working the major Families over each and every night.

Except tonight. Harvey had asked her to be his date for dinner and afters, which meant the Batman would be taking a night off. Eventually, she was going to have to figure out how to make her alias show up when she was being very public. Maybe with a little work and disguise, she could convince Oliver to do it, once she decided if she could trust him that far…

She shook her head, pushing thoughts of Green Arrow out of her mind. Yes, he'd been making a hell of a name for himself out west, even as Oliver Queen wrestled his company toward responsible profitability, but there really wasn't any reason to dwell on him.

She put on a darker shade of lipstick than usual, checked her hair one more time, and then made her way downstairs. Maybe Harvey would tell her something to help the Batman's war on crime. Commissioner Loeb had gone so far as to post a bounty for information leading to the capture of the city's notorious vigilante, but Ashlea had heard some of the beat cops mention their gratitude for the shadowy help.

It was more than enough for her to keep living her double life.

* * *

Harvey kept his arm around Ashlea's shoulders once they were ensconced on his couch, glad that she had come home with him for the afters part of the date. He needed her calm, wanted her to help him double down on all of his nerves.

"You know I've been gunning for Falcone and Maroni, as the two biggest threats to our city, right, Ash?" he asked her, letting the old movie run softly in the background. 

"Hard to miss, Harvey. Even after they tried to rearrange your face, you didn't back off," Ashlea said, reaching up thread her fingers through his hair over the eye that still showed a hint of bruising from the beating. 

Harvey felt himself tense at the reminder; he really was going to have to look at taking time with a good surgeon after this was over to try and minimize the scars left by the attack. What point was there in having the money to do so and not taking advantage of it? Especially when Harvey knew his looks were part of his stock in trade with the media he manipulated toward exposing the criminal element?

"I've found my angle to crack it wide, Ash. After this next case, Gotham won't have to fear the Mob any longer," Harvey said, pulling his thoughts away from his self-perceptions. "It starts tomorrow, and I just wanted to have you here tonight, my good luck piece, so I can be at my best to start it."

Ashlea had to smile at him for that, even as she felt a prickle of alarm. What had Harvey done? The next case on his agenda was a low-level murder trial? What had she, or the Batman, missed? "I'll see if I can swing a spot in the gallery when you think it will wrap up… I'd be there every day, but I am trying to be part of Dad's company."

"I know, Ashlea. But I'll be glad to see you there when you can. It'll make my win twice as good!" He grinned at her, then stole a kiss. Ashlea went with that, while filing away that this next week could be very dangerous for Harvey.

* * *

Rosa smiled at Ashlea as she came in the next morning. "Miss Wayne, the reporter is here."

"Reporter?" Ashlea asked, racking her brain for why she would be meeting a reporter first thing in the morning. She was far too used to being ambushed by them at public events.

"The focal piece on how you are changing the face of doing business in Gotham?" Rosa prodded, and that made it slide into place.

"It's been so long since we set it up, Rosa. I'm sorry; I forgot," Ashlea told her assistant. "The _Daily Planet_ , right? As a contrasting article to the methodology of LuthorCorp?"

"Yes ma'am." Rosa gave her an encouraging smile, and Ashlea knew she'd just put a few more dingbat points on the books in the eye of her employees. That was fine, but Ashlea really needed to work on her memory techniques for both sides of her life.

She walked into her office to find a slice of American stereotype in her office. The man was tall, built like a linebacker, and square-jawed with an openly honest expression. The suit he wore was slightly ill-cut, off the rack instead of tailored, and the glasses he wore were not the most fashionable. If this was the _Planet_ 's idea of a model reporter, it was no wonder most of the other papers up and down the seaboard had been outselling them.

Had been, Ashlea remembered, until the hero in pajamas and a cape had burst on the scene and been dubbed 'Superman' by one Lois Lane. Since then, no other paper had gotten an exclusive with the being, and all his stories were by-lined from either Lane or a Clark Kent.

That memory slotted into place, and she let her smile settle into politely interested as she crossed to shake his hand. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting; R&D had asked me to stop by first thing this morning."

"That's, um, quite alright, Miss Wayne," the reporter said. "Clark Kent, _Daily Planet_. I got here a little early actually and your secretary…"

"Assistant," Ashlea interjected quickly but firmly.

"...assistant told me to come on in here. I hope it's not inconvenient, but my editor wants me to try and see how your entire day goes, to …"

"Set a different example than Cat Grant's expose on Lex Luthor?" she asked. "I cannot attest to how different things are here in Gotham, but I promise you that when I make a commitment, I follow through on it to the letter, Mister Kent." She indicated the coat rack in the corner. "I suggest you leave your jacket here, if you plan to keep up with me, though. I don't just live in my office like a cushy CEO."

He looked startled, and Ashlea wondered if the primary-colored Metropolis hero was just taking pity on this bumpkin that he was currently one of two star reporters for the Planet. He did, however, comply with the suggestion, and then they were off into Ashlea's day.


End file.
